Key holder



J. F. THULL Sept. 23, 1958 KEY HOLDER Filed 001;. 20. 1955 FIG. 2

INVENTOR JOHN F. THULL ATTORNEY Patented Sept. 23, 1958 KEY HOLDER JohnF. Thull, St. Paul, Minn., assignor to Brown & Bigelow, St. Paul, Minn.,a corporation ont lviinnesota Application October 20, 1955, Serial No.541,815

Claims. (Cl. 70-459) My invention relates to key holders wherein a keyring is provided with a means of removably locking the keys to the keyring.

A feature of the invention resides in providing a skeleton-like frame,which can be made of metal or other suitable, tough material which isformed with a closed loop for supporing the keys and which has a keyreceiving slot which is normally closed by a pair of non-metallic disks.The key supporting member is generally fiat in construction and inaddition to having the key receiving slot, is formed with an openingwhich provides a bearing for the disks which normally close the keyreceiving slot.

The non-metallic disks form an important part of the invention, owing totheir plastic nature which permits the disks to be of any desired colorand thus, it is pos sible to imprint indicia upon the exposed face otthe disks, which indicia would appear on either side of the key holder.

A further feature of the non-metallic disks resides in the fact thatthey can be secured together by cementing the bosses projecting from theinner surfaces of the same with the inner surfaces of the disks engagingagainst the sides of the metal frame or skeleton of the key holder withsufcient friction to prevent the disks from turning too easily in thebearing opening of the metal frame of the key holder.

Each of the disks is formed with an opening on their outer peripheraledge extending radially toward the axis of the disks and when the disksare cemented together', they rotate on the metal frame. The radiallyextending apertures or openings are positioned to coincide with eachother.

In operating the key holder, the key is inserted onto the key supportingloop by means of a hole in the head of the key `being threaded onto thekey holder when the slots in the disks are rotated to expose thereceiving end of the key slot of the holder. Then as the key is slid orthreaded up into the key receiving slot of the holder, the disks aresimultaneously rotated carrying the key to a position where it entersthe key receiving loop of the holder. When it is desired to remove thekey, the radial slots in the disks are brought into registry with thekey receiving; loop and the head of the key is guided out of the keyreceiving slot of the frame to disengage the key from the key holder.

It is a feature to provide the key receiving slot in the frame orskeleton of the key holder with a hook end at the receiving end of theslot. This hook end acts as a safety means to keep the key from beingaccidentally disengaged through the key receiving slot if the disksshould happen to rotate and carry the head of the key around to thereceiving opening of the key slot. To remove the key from the keyreceiving slot, it is necessary to lift the head of the key, with theopening therein, over said hook end. Thus, it will be apparent that thehook end, at the key receiving end of the slot of the key holder acts toretard the accidental removal of a key and actually restricts the widthof the opening at the receiving end thereof.

The various features will be more fully and clearly defined hereinafter.

In the drawings forming part of this speciiication:

Figure l is a perspective View of my key holder showing a key in fulllines as it would appear either in inserting the key into the keyreceiving slot or removing it from said slot. The outline of a key isdotted to show the position which the key would normally assume in thekey receiving loop of the holder.

Figure 2 illustrates a side view of the key holder showing the radialopenings in the disks positioned to expose the hook end of the keyreceiving slot.

Figure 3 is a view of the skeleton frame of the key holder with thedisks removed therefrom.

Figure 4 is a section on the 4-4 line of Figure 2.

Figure 5 is a section similar to Figure 4 with the disks separated fromthe skeleton of the key holder showing the relative position of the samebefore the disks are cemented together on the hub bosses.

The key holder A is formed with a skeleton frame 10 which may be stampedfrom metal or any other suitable material. The frame 10 is formed with aloop 11 on which the keys B are normally carried.

A key receiving slot 12 is formed in the skeleton frame 10 having therestricted opening 13 at the entrance to the slot 12. Av hook end 14 isformed on the framel bounding the slot l2 adiacent the restrictedopening 13 which acts to retard the key B from being accidentallydisengaged from the slot The frame it) is formed with a bearing opening15 through which is fitted in the hub 16 of the plastic disk 17. Aplastic disk 1S, which is similar to the plastic disk 17, is alsoprovided with a hub portion 19 whichis adapted to be cemented inside ofthe hub portion 16 to integrally secure the disks 17 and 13 at their hubportions when the respective disks 17 and 18 are attached to theskeleton frame 1) as illustrated in Figure 4.

It is an important feature to form the hubs 16 and 19 short enough sothat when therrespective hubs 16 and 19 are cemented together, tointegrally seal the disks 17 and 18 together, the respective innersurfaces 20 and 21 of the respective disks 17 and 18 will bear againstthe surface of the skeleton frame lil with sufficient friction to retardthe easy turning of the disks 17 and 18.

The diameter of the disks 17 and 18 is such that the arcuated outer edge22 of the skeleton frame 10 will follow the saine contour as theperipheral Aedges of the disks 17 and 1S and be ilush therewith. Theskeleton frame 10 is formed with an inner arcuated edge 23 which of thesame contour as the edge 22 vso as to provide segmental circularportions 22 and 23 with the same axis as the opening 15.

An opening 24 leading from the loop 11 to the key slot 12 permits thekefs B to be received onto the loop 11 or to be disengaged therefrom.

Each of the plastic disks 17 and 18 is formed with a radially extendingslot 25, The slots 25 are positioned in line with each other when thedisks 17 and 18 are cemented together. Thus, the slots 25 rotatetogether when the disks lf and 18 are rotated and these slots form therecess in the disks 17 and 18 which expose the opening 13 and theretarding hook end 14, when the disks 17 and 18 are in the positionillustrated in Figure l. However, when the disks 17 and .18 :are rotatedin the opening 15 on the skeleton frame 10 to a position communicatingwith the loop 11 then, the lkey receiving slots or openings 12 and 13areclosed.

The key holder A is designed to receive .one or more keys B by threadingthe same on the frame bordering the opening 13 and around the slot 12and onto the loop 11 while the disks 17 and 18 close the slot 12 and theopening 13 and the opening 24. In this manner the disks 17 and 1S form alocking means to hold the keys E on the loop 11 until it is desired toremove the same from the key holder A. When it is desired to remove thekeys from the holder A the radial slots 25 are moved into position toregister with the key receiving slot 24 which permits the keys B to beslid alo-ng the frame to the opening adjacent the hook end 14 and as thekey is disengaged from the hook end 14, it may be entirely removed fromthe holder A out of the passage 13.

It is a feature of primary importance to provide a key holder A whereinthe skeleton frame 1@ is strong and durable so as to lirrnly hold thekeys n on the loop ii. which ordinarily takes considerable wear from themovement of the keys on said loop, However, the locking disks 17 and 1Sare preferably formed of plastic material which can be readily cementedtogether at their axis with the disks frictionally bearing against themetal skeleton of the key holder. This provides locking means of anonmetallic nature which does not require an extra element such as arivet to secure the disks together. 1t is important that the disksrotate together so as to keep the slots 25 in line and it is equallyimportant to provide a. key holder with large flat surfaces upon whichindicia can be imprinted for identification and advertising.Furthermore, the plastic disks are important because they provideeconomical means of forming the key holder A with only three parts andit is equally important that the key holder be made attractive Iby usingcolor disks 17 and 18, thereby enhancing the appearance of the keyholder. The plastic disks also provide a nonmetalic disk on one end ofthe key holder which is not inclined to scratch the finish of theinstrument panel of the automobile and reducing, to a large extent, therattle caused by the key holder when hanging free from the keys.

I claim:

l. A key holder including a skeleton metallic frame having a keyreceiving loop formed on one end, a key receiving slot on the other endleading into said loop. a restricted hook end at the key receiving endof said slot which prevents the accidental disengagement of a key fromsaid key receiving slot and a pair of nonmetallic disks having hub meanswhich are cemented together to integrally attach said disks androtatably anchor the same in an opening centrally formed in saidskeleton metallic frame, said nonrnetallic disks having radial alignedslots for exposing the open end of said kcy receiving slot in Saidskeleton frame and to close the same by rotating said disks to move thealigned slots away from said open end, said disks being restrained fromfree rotation by frictional engagement against said skeleton frame.

2. A key support comprising a skeleton frame, a loop on one end of saidframe rfor receiving a series of keys, a key receiving slot formed onthe other end of said frame, a pair of disks frictionally position oneach side of said skeleton frame adapted to close said key receivingslot, said disks being cemented integrally adjacent their axis andcoinciding recesses formed in said disks adapted to expose the receivingend of said key receiving slot and when said disks are rotated to closesaid receiving end and to carry the keys to said key receiving loop onone end of said frame, said frame terminating in a key retaining hookend to prevent the accidental loss of keys.

3. A key holder having an elliptically shaped skeleton frame formed ofmetal, a key receiving loop at one end f said frame, a pair of rotatabledisks having substantially flat outer surfaces and inwardly projectinghub portions which are joined together with the inner surfaces of saiddisks frictioually engaging the outer surfaces of said metal frameopposite 4said key receiving loop to restrain the free rotation thereof,said frame having a key receiving slot formed therein with a restrictedhook outer end to prevent the loss of keys and radial slots formed insaid disks rotatable into registry with the key receiving slot to exposethe key receiving end of said frame and to close said slot by theunslotted portion of said disks when the frictionally restrained disksare rotated on said frame.

4. A key holder comprising, in combination, a thin elongated tramehaving a key retaining loop terminating at one end thereof in a atbearing supporting member having a hole therein, said frame having acircular key guiding loop integrally attached to the key retaining loopthereof and spaced apart from the supporting member of said frame adistance suicient to allow keys which are looped therein to pass throughthe key retaining loop, a projecting hook at the outer extremity of thekey guiding loop to keep keys from falling out, a pair of hubbedcircular plastic disks rotatably mounted on each side of said frame inaxial alignment with the hole of the supporting member, said disks beingcemented together and being frictionally restrained from free rotationagainst the supporting member of said frame, said disks having aradially extending notch cut therethrough to allow a key to be insertedin said key holder.

5. A key holder consisting of a thin metal supporting framework, saidframework including a centrally positioned segmental plate having a holetherein, the segmental plate of said framework having an angularexterior edge and an inner curved edge, the inner curved edge of theplate defining a portion of a circle having its axis coincident with theaxis of the hole in the segmental plate, the segmental plate terminatingin a first key holding loop, the first key holding loop including afirst straight section extending from the segmental plate and a iirstsemi-circular section having a radius equal to the radius of the curvedportion of the segmental plate and extending from the first straightsection, the iirst key holding loop having a second straight sectionconnected` to the first semi-circular section remotes from the iirststraight section and terminating in a semi-circular key guiding loop,the key guiding loop having a free end adjacent the angular exterioredge of the segmental plate and spaced apart to define a key entrancepassageway therebetween, the radius of the key guiding loop being equalto the curved portion of the segmental plate, the axis of the keyguiding loop being coincident to the axis of the hole in the segmentalplate, an interior hook integrally attached to the free end of the keyguiding loop to restrain keys from sliding out of the key entrancepassageway, a pair of thin circular plastic disks having hubs inabutting engagement with each other rotatably mounted in the hole of thecentral plate, said disks having a radius equal to the radius of thecurved portion of the segmental plate and being cemented together at theabutting surface of the hubs thereof, the inner radial surface of saiddisks being in frictional engagement with the segmental plate, saiddisks having a radial notch adapted to receive a key when the disk isrotated so that the notch is in register with the key entrancepassageway of said supporting framework.

References Cited in the le of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 168,258lopson Sept, 28, 1875 221,571 Jepson Nov. 11, 1879 462,465 Berry Nov. 3,1891 681,894 Swanson Sept. 3, 1901 751,643 Hentgen Feb. 9, 1904 863,297Lynn Aug. 13, 1907 1,187,471 Ruskin lune 13, 1916 1,593,254 Guthe luly20, 1926 FOREIGN PATENTS 151,373 Great Britain Sept. 27, 1920'

